After more than 100 days in office, President Javier Milei has managed some much-needed economic reforms . But the hit to voters’ pockets may limit his popularity, and progress. Sprucing up a peripheral Paris neighbourhood for the Olympics is just part of a plan to transform the city’s geography (9:42). And the astonishing life of the longest-ever user of an iron lung (17:20). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— subscribe to Economist Podcast...
Apr 05, 2024•25 min
The game theory was simpler during a cold war between two states armed to the teeth; the nuclear world order has since become far more complex and dangerous. Nvidia is on a tear making the artificial-intelligence community’s favoured chips. What plans, and perils, lie ahead for the firm (10:55)? And why there are ever fewer accountants on the books in America (18:25). Additional audio "As an accountant" courtesy of Rocky Paterra. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to ...
Apr 04, 2024•26 min
India is not the first country to leapfrog from poverty-induced undernourishment to also having an obesity crisis—but a number of factors make that a far chunkier problem than it is elsewhere. A shock local-election result in Turkey suggests the country’s strongman leader may not be so strong (9:48). And China’s solar-panel bonanza upsets the lucrative market for ultra-pure sand (17:43). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— subscribe to Econom...
Apr 03, 2024•24 min
As yet more aid workers die in Gaza and an airstrike levels an Iranian consulate, pressure on Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu mounts. But all that chaos is paradoxically protective . We take an economist’s view on the “superfakes” that are chipping away at the luxury-handbag industry (10:18). And French winemakers face the twin challenges of brewers and abstemious youth (18:37). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— subscribe to Econ...
Apr 02, 2024•24 min
There are fears about TikTok, but it’s not the only social media platform that the Chinese state might be using to monitor the rest of the world. That’s especially worrying for those in its diaspora who thought they were free. How monopolies are transforming America’s skiing industry (08:59). And just how much stuff are museums sitting on (15:37)? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about ...
Apr 01, 2024•23 min
Alexei Navalny was sent to one to die and American journalist Evan Gershkovich is being held in another. Our correspondent reports on the notorious brutality of Russia’s prisons . Without the right policies, undoing years of dependency on oil will take much longer than hoped (11:03). And a tribute to the Israeli luthier who restored violins from the Holocaust (18:53). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For mo...
Mar 29, 2024•27 min
It has been called one of the biggest financial frauds in American history . After the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, its founder is facing a maximum jail sentence of 110 years. Why the race to build new cities is difficult, but potentially worthwhile (10:01). And how M&S knickers can help solve murders (16:15). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economis...
Mar 28, 2024•22 min
It is becoming harder to get supplies into the enclave, which is facing a growing risk of famine . As fewer trucks are making it in, more aid is being dropped by plane. Our producer takes us on a flight. Why high risk does not always lead to high reward (09:40). And the ripple effect of rising cocoa prices for chocoholics (14:43). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Eco...
Mar 27, 2024•20 min
On March 13th America’s House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese owner, Bytedance, agrees to sell its stake. Alice Su, The Economist ’s senior China correspondent, and David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, look at China’s side of the story. Joined by Don Weinland, our China business and finance editor, they ask: does Chinese ownership of TikTok really pose a threat to America? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to sc...
Mar 26, 2024•38 min
Bassirou Diomaye Faye was little-known before this election. Despite the incumbent president’s attempts to thwart the process, the anti-establishment politician has soared to victory. Why preparing Turkey for future earthquakes has dominated mayoral campaigns in Istanbul (08:37). And the gene mutation making dogs more prone to obesity (16:25)? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how ...
Mar 26, 2024•22 min
Warnings from the Americans went unheeded, police took too long to respond, and now the Kremlin has found a way to link it to Ukraine. Could this tragedy be used to Vladamir Putin’s advantage ? A hotline for Japanese men to discuss their anxieties is an unfortunate indicator of a wider social problem (09:48). And why America’s love for big trucks is hitting a dead end (17:15). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going ...
Mar 25, 2024•23 min
By the end of this podcast Economist correspondent Tamara Gilkes Borr might own a gun. Recently, Tamara fired a gun for the first time and was shocked by how it made her feel. That moment started her on a personal odyssey to meet other Black gun owners and find out why, in contemporary America, she might want - or need - a gun. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Econom...
Mar 23, 2024•48 min
The case against the tech giant has been brewing since 2019 and while the smartphone maker is usually well-equipped to bat away regulators, this fight could bruise. Why Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, Haiti’s most prominent warlord, could play a key role in the country’s future (09:48). And, the Dutch-American primatologist who showed animals to have kinder instincts (16:40). Please take a moment to respond to our listener survey . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to sc...
Mar 22, 2024•25 min
Amazon started with a plan to disrupt bookselling. It sold cheap books online, delivering them straight to customers’ homes. Three decades later it employs a million people in America and owns one hundred warehouses, each stocked with millions of products. More than a third of the US e-commerce market flows through it. Now, another company has spied an opportunity to disrupt Amazon: Temu. The Chinese e-commerce giant wants to undercut its US rival, delivering impossibly cheap stuff to Americans ...
Mar 21, 2024•44 min
America’s central bank left rates untouched, to widespread market delight. Why is this economic cycle confounding expectations so much, and how to bring it to a gentle end ? We look at the modern fortunes of Vodafone, a once-mighty telecoms firm that is slimming down to get healthier (11:21). And why Britain’s system for protecting its historic buildings from change… needs to change (16:10). Please take a moment to respond to our listener survey . Listen to what matters most, from global politic...
Mar 21, 2024•21 min
It took more than 20 years for Hong Kong’s legislature to pass Article 23, a sweeping and troublingly ambiguous national-security law . Huge protests stymied such legislation in the past; not so anymore. National Guard troops are out in force on New York City’s subways—because they are cheaper than cops (10:11). And a personal story exploring the torment of tinnitus (15:31). Please take a moment to respond to our listener survey . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to...
Mar 20, 2024•24 min
The Bank of Japan has ended its grand experiment in unconventional monetary policy—how did it work, and what happens now that it has concluded? Ahead of Florida’s presidential primary our correspondent pays a visit, examining the state’s hard swing to the right (10:17). And the next in our Economist Reads series: why God seems to care so much about sex (19:09). Please take a moment to respond to our listener survey . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and t...
Mar 19, 2024•26 min
America is producing more high-school graduates—but on average, they know less. We ask how a push for equity can in reality seed a systemic failing . London’s Canary Wharf was built as a high-rise jungle for white-collar workers; how is it surviving in a work-from-home world (7:57)? And amid a general decline in cinemagoing, the high end of the market is thriving (14:02). Please take a moment to respond to our listener survey . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to sc...
Mar 18, 2024•19 min
It’s not long since America was widely thought to be on the brink of recession. Instead the economy expanded by 3% in 2023, and continues to defy expectations . But why aren’t voters happier with Joe Biden’s economy? John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist ’s Simon Rabinovitch and Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University. Thank you to the William J. Clinton Library and the UVA Miller Center for some of the audio used in th...
Mar 15, 2024•48 min
Voting begins today in an election that has already been won – all the opposition politicians are dead, in prison or in exile. Vladimir Putin wants to give the illusion of legitimacy. Will the rumblings of a protest deprive him of that goal? There is evidence that Sudan is becoming the latest theatre of the Ukraine war (09:25). And, a tribute to the father of Dragon Ball Z (15:49). Navalny audio clip courtesy of The National Desk. Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcas...
Mar 15, 2024•23 min
The US Congress is refusing to scroll past the app’s links to China. If the bill they passed becomes law, the video-sharing network will be forced to find new owners. Binyamin Netanyahu’s emergency war-time budget has just been approved. What is the cost of Israel’s ongoing war (10:40)? And, snapping up Old Masters in Maastricht (18:14). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Econ...
Mar 14, 2024•26 min
The northeastern province has been subject to more and more shelling, and Western officials are worried about Ukraine’s capacity to respond. Could there be a breakthrough? Not everyone is happy with the 28-year-old building America’s first nickel-cobalt refinery (08:51). And, some of the best comic novels (16:46). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full ...
Mar 13, 2024•23 min
Melting ski slopes, floods and droughts are enraging the continent’s citizens, but not quite enough for them to consider voting differently . Our correspondent explains what the electorate is weighing up. The world’s largest maker of glasses is branching out into tech (10:41). And Gabriel García Márquez ’s new novella that he did not want published (16:32). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a su...
Mar 12, 2024•24 min
As the hermit kingdom is getting ever cosier with Russia, it is becoming bolder in its provocations of conflict with the south. Growing risks of escalation threaten not just the region, but the world. The victims of the war in Ukraine are not just its people, but its animals too (09:48). And why the world is getting bigger (15:57). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part...
Mar 11, 2024•23 min
Despite growing pressure from powerful local gangs, Ariel Henry, the prime minister, is refusing to step down. The state has descended into such a quagmire that he cannot even return. Can it be brought back from the brink? This year’s Oscar nominations show a newfound appreciation for foreign-language films (07:44). And, a tribute to Iris Apfel (13:52) Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to ...
Mar 08, 2024•21 min
A steady 20-point lead in the polls suggests that the Labour Party could comfortably win Britain’s next election. How have they managed to gain such a broad support base? Two embarrassing blunders from the German military could have sizeable implications at home and abroad (10:39). And, how two Japanese towns are transforming attitudes to childcare (16:44). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full acces...
Mar 07, 2024•23 min
What is intelligence? In the middle of the 20th century, the inner workings of the human brain inspired computer scientists to build the first “thinking machines”. But how does human intelligence actually relate to the artificial kind? This is the first episode in a four-part series on the evolution of modern generative AI. What were the scientific and technological developments that took the very first, clunky artificial neurons and ended up with the astonishingly powerful large language models...
Mar 06, 2024•43 min
In a result that will surprise few, America is on track to hold a rematch of the 2020 presidential election, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump winning most of the primaries held last night. But will the Republican campaign look different this time? Why shoppers and investors really love Costco (09:36). And which cities are most expensive for Europe’s renters (15:36)? Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have fu...
Mar 06, 2024•21 min
The richer, more urban region does not just differ economically, but politically too. Can Mr Modi tone down the BJP’s Hindu nationalism and gain traction there? The EU has a grand plan to protect its economy from a host of risks, but finding consensus among 27 countries is hard (12:22). And why live music rocks (19:47). Additional music courtesy of Posthuman Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full acce...
Mar 05, 2024•24 min
The international push for a ceasefire in Gaza continues, but the tragedies keep coming ; in many ways a resolution still seems as distant as it was early in the war. We consider the temptation to go all in on stocks, given just how flaming-hot the markets are (10:55). And a data-led look into which American cities are the most dog-obsessed (16:13). Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all...
Mar 04, 2024•22 min
